bayedsolid Chapter 2051 The General Dies in Battle
Chapter 2051 The General Dies in Battle
The Chu cavalry, with their superior numbers, equipment, and training, gained the upper hand the moment they made contact.
Like sharp arrows, the White Horse Cavalry, led by Zhao Yu, pierced through the Tang army's not-so-thick formation.
The heavy cavalry that followed were like hammers, smashing the Tang cavalry squads that were trying to regroup to pieces.
The light cavalry roamed the flanks, constantly weakening and reaping the enemy with bows and swords.
Although the Tang cavalry were brave and fought desperately, with Gao Xianzhi leading the charge and killing several Chu cavalrymen, their resistance appeared tragic and powerless in the face of an absolute disparity in strength.
The formation was quickly disrupted, and the soldiers fought individually, often with one soldier facing an attack from several Chu cavalrymen.
Tang cavalrymen were constantly being thrown from their horses, only to be trampled into a bloody pulp by the chaotic hooves. Blood stained the manes of the warhorses and soaked the ground beneath their feet.
The screams mostly came from the Tang army.
Their defenses crumbled rapidly in the cavalry duel, and the remaining cavalry were divided, surrounded, and driven to despair.
Gao Xianzhi was also targeted by Zhao Yu. The two fought fiercely, exchanging blows with each other. Although Gao Xianzhi was brave, he was in great danger and struggled against Zhao Yu's unpredictable marksmanship.
Left with no other choice, Gao Xianzhi had to temporarily distance himself from Zhao Yu's location with the help of his personal guards.
The situation on the left flank deteriorated completely due to the disastrous defeat of the Tang cavalry!
After Zhao Yu's 60,000 iron cavalry defeated Gao Xianzhi's last mobile force, they faced no further obstacles and, like wild horses, swept even more frantically into the depths of the Tang army camp!
The troops were aimed directly at the core area where the banner bearing the character "Li" was flying!
The Tang army camp has reached the final moment of life and death!
The sun slowly rose amidst the bloody battle, from dawn to noon, and then until it began to set in the west.
The once open area on the left flank of the Tang army camp has been transformed into a slaughterhouse.
Zhao Yu's 60,000 Chu cavalry, like a never-ending vortex of death, relentlessly annihilated the already devastated Tang army under Gao Xianzhi's command.
Gao Xianzhi was surrounded, and his personal guards fell one after another, like grass and trees broken by a storm.
His armor was already badly damaged, covered with knife and spear marks, and blood kept seeping from multiple wounds, staining his warhorse dark red.
His arms were sore, numb, and swollen from wielding the knife for so long, and his breathing was as heavy as a broken bellows, with each breath carrying a strong smell of blood.
But he still didn't back down!
He can't retreat!
Behind him was the central command tent, where the commander-in-chief, Li Jing, stood—the last hope of the Tang Dynasty in this region!
He, Gao Xianzhi, could die in battle, but he absolutely could not stand by and watch the commander's flag fall!
"General! Let's retreat! It will be too late if we don't retreat now!"
A captain covered in blood rushed to Gao Xianzhi's side, crying out that his left arm had been severed at the shoulder and was only hastily bandaged with strips of cloth, dripping with blood.
Gao Xianzhi cleaved a Chu light cavalryman who was trying to approach in two with a single stroke, then turned and glared at the captain, his gaze as fiery as burning coals:
"You scoundrel! Anyone who dares to talk about retreating again will be executed! In the Great Tang Dynasty, there are only generals who die in battle, not cowards who flee for their lives!"
"My lads, follow me and kill!"
He urged his weary warhorse forward once more, brandishing his dulled sword, and charged like a moth drawn to a flame towards the densest concentration of Chu cavalry!
Wherever he went, he was still able to temporarily force back the surrounding Chu cavalry with his superb martial arts skills and his determination to die.
But it was clear to anyone with eyes that he was at his last gasp, and every move he made could be the final burst of his life.
Zhao Yu calmly observed the battlefield, like the most patient hunter.
He did not rush to engage in a final showdown with Gao Xianzhi, but instead commanded his cavalry to continuously divide and weaken the resistance forces around Gao Xianzhi.
He wanted to make sure that there would be no surprises when he took action.
At this moment, he saw that Gao Xianzhi's personal guards were almost all gone, and their movements were noticeably slower, so he knew that the time had come.
"drive!"
Zhao Yu spurred his horse, and the white horse shot out like lightning, its silver spear pointing directly at the Tang general who was still fighting a bloody battle!
"Gao Xianzhi! Prepare to die!" Zhao Yu's voice was cold, yet it carried a killing intent that pierced through the battlefield.
Upon hearing the sound, Gao Xianzhi turned around abruptly and saw that familiar white figure and that deadly silver spear.
Far from showing fear, his eyes blazed with a final, brilliant light: "Zhao Yu! Well done! Today we shall fight to the death!"
He turned his horse around and fearlessly charged forward!
"Dang! Dang! Dang!"
Guns and knives clashed, producing a series of rapid and intense sounds! Sparks flew everywhere!
Gao Xianzhi was exhausted, relying solely on an indomitable will to keep going. Although his swordsmanship was still ruthless, his speed and power were far inferior to before.
Zhao Yu, on the other hand, was conserving his energy and his marksmanship was divine, flowing like the Yangtze River, never ceasing.
Before ten rounds had even passed, Gao Xianzhi was already in grave danger.
Zhao Yu's spear thrusts were faster and faster than the last, like a venomous snake striking its tongue, targeting the very spot where the enemy was most vulnerable.
"Pfft!"
Finally, Zhao Yu seized an opening.
Like a dragon emerging from the abyss, the silver spear pierced through Gao Xianzhi's net of blades at an extremely tricky angle, stabbing fiercely into his chest! The spear tip emerged through his back!
Gao Xianzhi's body stiffened abruptly, and the battle sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.
He looked down in disbelief at the gun barrel that had pierced through his body, then looked up and stared intently at Zhao Yu.
His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but large gulps of blood gushed from his mouth, silencing all his words.
His eyes, filled with resentment, anger, and a hint of relief, finally froze on his resolute but bloodless face.
Zhao Yu remained expressionless, flicked his wrist, and retracted the silver spear.
Gao Xianzhi's body swayed, then fell heavily off the horse, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"General!!!"
The remaining Tang cavalrymen around them let out desperate and mournful cries; the death of their commander was like the last bit of their backbone being ripped out.
With Gao Xianzhi's death, the last bit of resistance of the Tang army's left-wing cavalry completely collapsed.
The surviving cavalrymen were either killed on the spot or scattered and fled, but where could they escape to in this sea of cavalry?
This cavalry duel, which lasted for nearly four hours, ended in a tragic outcome: the complete annihilation of the Tang cavalry and the death of their commander.
Without the cover and support of the cavalry, the Tang infantry on the left flank were in dire straits.
They faced the ferocious and unrestrained charge and division of the Chu army's iron cavalry.
The defenses collapsed completely, the organization was disrupted, and the soldiers could only fight in small groups or individually, putting up a desperate and futile resistance before being mercilessly crushed by the rolling iron hooves.
Driven by the officers' shouts and the instinct for survival, the remaining infantry began to abandon their outer positions and, like a receding tide, retreated hastily deeper into the camp and toward the central command tent.
They were routed, their armor and weapons discarded, their faces filled with fear and despair. They had completely exposed their backs to the pursuing Chu cavalry, which only brought them a more brutal pursuit.
The left wing has opened wide!
Zhao Yu reined in his warhorse, his silver spear pointing diagonally, Gao Xianzhi's blood dripping from the tip of the spear.
He gazed at the chaotic, collapsing Tang army camp ahead, and the "Li" banner still fluttering in the distance. His eyes were devoid of any emotion, only filled with icy killing intent and a resolute determination to continue advancing.
"Order! All troops advance! Target—Commander Li Jing's flag!"